The trailer outlines your role as the pathfinder, searching for a new home planet for humanity to settle on. As with previous games, this will mean traveling to different worlds and meeting with the various inhabitants there…and occasionally shooting your way through bad situations.

The game will introduce crafting, and give you a jetpack to make exploration easier. It also looks like there will be quite a bit of variety in enemy types.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2016/12/02/the-new-mass-effect-andromeda-gameplay-trailer-from-the-game-awards-is-here/feed/0Amazon’s Battlefield 1 Collector’s Edition comes with a statue, a steelbook, and no gamehttp://www.vg247.com/2016/08/08/amazons-battlefield-1-collectors-edition/
http://www.vg247.com/2016/08/08/amazons-battlefield-1-collectors-edition/#respondSun, 07 Aug 2016 23:33:55 +0000https://www.vg247.com/?p=595730Amazon has made its exclusive Battlefield 1 Collector’s Edition available for preorder, but if you want the game itself you’re going to have to pay extra.

This distinction is made very clear in the product’s descriptive name: ‘Battlefield 1 Exclusive Collector’s Edition – Does Not Include Game’.

Here’s a list of what this $129.99 Collector’s Edition does actually include:

Collector’s Edition statue (14″ Tall)

Exclusive steel book

Exclusive cloth poster

Deck of playing cards

Messenger pigeon tube with exclusive DLC content

Exclusive patch

Premium packaging

It’s unclear what the ‘DLC content’ is, although as an exclusive it’s likely to be entirely cosmetic.

Battlefield 1 released on October 18, for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2016/08/08/amazons-battlefield-1-collectors-edition/feed/0Criterion Games is no longer making an extreme sports gamehttp://www.vg247.com/2016/06/22/criterion-games-is-no-longer-making-an-extreme-sports-racer/
http://www.vg247.com/2016/06/22/criterion-games-is-no-longer-making-an-extreme-sports-racer/#respondWed, 22 Jun 2016 01:07:11 +0000https://www.vg247.com/?p=589664The extreme sports game Burnout developers Criterion Games announced during E3 2014 is no more.

Criterion Games is no longer making an extreme sports game

The game, shown in a brief rendered trailer that now appears to be offline, was to feature all manner of extreme racing methods, including wingsuits, jetskis and helicopters. It was inspired by go-pro stunt footage.

The game is no more, though. An EA representative has confirmed to Gamespot that the project is canceled, and that Criterion will be focusing on Star Wars and other, unannounced new IP for now.

“While they’ve moved on from the previous project they’ve spoken about and aren’t pursuing it, they are continuing to build new ideas and experiment with new IP for EA, in addition to continuing to collaborate with other EA studios”, the representative told Gamespot.

The very first teaser for Titanfall 2 hinted at a mech with a blade. It turns out the sword is specific to Ronin, who has several other cool abilities outlined in the video. We’re particularly fond of that arc wave of lightning.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2016/06/15/meet-ronin-titanfall-2s-sword-wielding-mech/feed/0Titanfall 2: Deluxe and Collectors editions now available for preorderhttp://www.vg247.com/2016/06/13/titanfall-2-deluxe-and-collectors-editions-now-available-for-preorder/
http://www.vg247.com/2016/06/13/titanfall-2-deluxe-and-collectors-editions-now-available-for-preorder/#respondMon, 13 Jun 2016 00:08:24 +0000https://www.vg247.com/?p=587115Two special editions of Titanfall 2 are currently available for preorder on Amazon, although it seems like there will be other, retailer-exclusive options.

Titanfall 2: Deluxe and Collector’s editions now available for preorder

Dog Tag Flash Drive: A Pilot’s secrets must be carefully guarded, and what better way to keep them close than to store them inside your dog tag. This 8GB USB custom flash drive cleverly retracts into the dog tag on an 18″ metallic ball chain.

Pilot SRS Field Journal: An essential accessory for every Pilot, the field journal is 3″ x 4.5″ and features an aluminum case, pen and Vanguard Squad logo.

Accessories: A tactical spotlight and targeting laser sight. These two battery operated helmet accessories are designed to be mounted on the ARC rail system of the helmet. Independently operated, the functional mounted spotlight will light up the night and the simulated laser sight features a super-bright non-projected red LED.

Squad Morale Patches and Vanguard Shemagh Scarf: Proudly display your squad affiliation with two morale patches, Macallan’s Marauders and Ion, with male Velcro-style hook backing to secure onto loop patches of helmets, uniforms, tactical vests, and backpacks. The Vanguard Shemagh Scarf is designed to protect a Pilot’s head and neck from the sun and blowing sand of harsh alien environments. The Vanguard Scarf measures 42″ x 42″ and features an original custom designed Titanfall pattern, making it an essential multi-use travel tool for every Pilot in your squad.

It’ll retail for $249, and is, based on previous experience, liable to sell out.

Titanfall 2 Illuminated Pilot Bust: Highly detailed and game accurate classic style bust which brings to life the daring Pilot Jack Cooper featured in the new edition of the game. Measuring approximately 7″ tall, this masterpiece edition is digitally sculpted from the modeling files used to create the Titanfall® 2 cinematics. Each bust is hand painted to exacting detail and features a battery operated light-up blue faceplate. Individually packaged in a custom display box.

Pilot SRS Field Journal: An essential accessory for every Pilot, the field journal is 3” x 4.5” and features an aluminum case, pen and Vanguard Squad logo.

Exclusive Fine Art Mini-Prints: High quality, custom printed 5” x 7” fine art prints reproducing three unique pieces of game development art available only in the collector’s editions.

Paracord Survival Bracelet: The Pilot’s survival bracelet provides several feet of “Para-Cord” that can be used in any off world emergency in countless survival scenarios. Heavy duty polyester cord with black slide release buckle and metal Titanfall 2 logo emblem plaque, the wound cord length is 8”, 118” when fully disassembled, and rated to hold 300 pounds.

Titanfall 2 is coming to PS4, Xbox One and PC on October 28. We’ll have more coverage of it and everything else shown at E3 in our E3 2016 Hub.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2016/06/13/titanfall-2-deluxe-and-collectors-editions-now-available-for-preorder/feed/0E3 2016: What games will Sony, Microsoft, Bethesda, Ubisoft and EA show this year?http://www.vg247.com/2016/05/18/e3-2016-what-games-will-sony-microsoft-bethesda-ubisoft-and-ea-show-this-year/
http://www.vg247.com/2016/05/18/e3-2016-what-games-will-sony-microsoft-bethesda-ubisoft-and-ea-show-this-year/#respondWed, 18 May 2016 19:31:16 +0000https://www.vg247.com/?p=583268

E3 2016: What games will Sony, Microsoft, Bethesda, Ubisoft and EA show this year?

Holy guacamole, how can it be that time again? E3 2016 will take over L.A. next month, with the biggest publishers so excited they hold their own showcases before the entertainment expo even starts. It’s a glorious pissing contest of games, sideswipes, self-love and showmanship. We wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Which is why we’ve put together this list of games we’re expecting – and hoping – to see from the big boys; Sony, Microsoft, Bethesda, EA, Ubisoft, Activision, Take-Two, Capcom and few others. This isn’t a definitive list of every game at the show, rather the reveals that can blow the roof of the LA Convention Center and have the fans dropping to their knees.

Sony: a return to hardware with PS4.5 and VR

Sony’s big show will be as much about hardware as it is software. With PSVR launching in October, expect details of the launch line-up and Christmas releases for the $400 headset. The problem is you just can’t show off the VR experience in a packed auditorium, so it won’t be until the industry goes eyes-on with it on the show floor that we’ll get a better impression of the technology. Novelty hardware for a cool Xmas present or genuine advancement of interactive entertainment? We’ll see…

We should also get the full lowdown on the PS4.5, aka Neo, aka PS4K. What Sony won’t want to do is is confuse people with a hardware refresh that purportedly won’t be getting any exclusive games. Expect a price and release date, and a bundle with the VR headset for those with money to burn.

One Last Thing: A teaser for The Last of Us 2 from Naughty Dog after its success this year with Uncharted 4 would be a mic drop.

Microsoft: Xbox One slim and men shooting things

It’s almost three years since the Xbox One launched, so a hardware refresh would be a pretty cool way of getting people to buy the same system again and appeal to those who’ve been holding off. Expect that and a round of budget hardware bundles to shift original stock.

You can criticise the Xbox One line-up for being about men with big guns but a big fat demonstration of playable Crackdown 3 along with a release date wouldn’t get many complaints. If it blows the bloody doors off it can be Microsoft’s biggest game of the show.

Expect familiar faces to take the stage: Gears of War 4, a new Forza, a better look at Inafune’s ReCore, Rare’s Sea of Thieves, more Killer Instinct and Platinum’s elusive Scalebound. There will be some Xbox One apps and Windows 10 talk but that’s your cue to nip to the toilet or make a quick cup of tea. And maybe another demo of HoloLens just so Microsoft can say it’s working on new technology in the face of Sony’s VR push.

One Last Thing:Halo Wars 2 closed out Gamescom and you should probably expect to see full-scale battles from Microsoft’s system-selling franchise before the green lights go down on June 13.

Bethesda: how about that Skyrim remaster?

Bethesda goes first on the Sunday of E3 with its showcase, so it needs to have enough wow to rival the reveal and release date of Fallout 4 from last year. A company that takes it time with development, it’s too early for The Elder Scrolls VI, but how about a remastered Skyrim for Xbox One and PS4? It would be the last of the last-gen to get the special treatment and Bethesda has already pushed out a Dishonored remaster, so it’s a no-brainer to tart up the 20+ million-selling RPG. It’s conspicuous by its absence at this point.

The Division has been Ubi’s 2016 success, and a big reveal of the three DLC packs will get the attention it deserves. Who knows, there might even be something Rainbow 6 related after the success of Siege. While we’re on a Tom Clancy tip, last year’s Wildlands reveal piqued our interest, so expect a deeper look and possible release quarter for the open-world project.

Those hideous Rabbids will probably turn up at some point, we’ll get a better look at For Honor and there may even be a hint of Beyond Good and Evil 2 (yeah, right). Expect at least one new IP reveal from Ubisoft, a company that always manages to keep one quirky and unique concept under wraps until E3.

One Last Thing: There’s no big Assassin’s Creed game in 2016, but that doesn’t mean a teaser for 2017’s release wouldn’t make a nice surprise.

Take-Two: Give me Red Dead or give me death

Take-Two/2K won’t have a showcase this year, but that’s not to say it won’t represent at the show. Siding with a format holder for Mafia 3 would be very wise. It already looks strong for its October release, and it’s a series with a lot of fan love. Having a deep look at gameplay from a technically accomplished series, with all the cool that the Mafia franchise can muster, could be a stand-out title that Sony or Microsoft would do well to put front and center.

And then there’s the big rumour of the next Red Dead game. Rockstar likes to do its own thing every year and barely touches E3, but would it do any harm to have a reveal alongside Sony or Microsoft (or both?). Just a trailer would put it in the Game of the Show category, and send many into a frenzy, including me.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare may have taken a kicking at reveal, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of the running. It always has a big showing at either Microsoft or Sony’s showcases, and if we don’t see soldiers rappelling down a building, double-jumping into conflict and rolling out the way of a collapsing building (in space) I’ll eat my loadout.

And with the success of Overwatch, who wouldn’t want to see some new heroes zipping across one of The Big Twos showcases? All that lively colour from Blizzard’s unique shooter would make a nice antidote to the grizzly grey of the seemingly endless grumpy shooters we’re served every year.

Capcom: the return of Resident Evil

Capcom has been talking about the return of Resident Evil, and that doesn’t just mean a new line of t-shirts. Apparently Resident Evil 7 is going back to its horror roots. Although you should still expect some gunplay, how about a switch to first-person – much like Silent Hill prototype P.T. before it was so rudely cancelled? That’s the kind of rethink that needs to be applied to Resident Evil if it hopes to get back fans lost in the wilderness years.

Is Deep Down still a thing? Three year’s after it was initially released, we’d all like to see that crop up, no matter how different to the original vision. And how about a new Devil May Cry from a Japanese studio? We can but hope. Maybe it’s one of the “three major titles” we heard about recently?

Poor old Nintendo

With no NX hardware and no showcase, it falls to a booth entirely dedicated to The Legend of Zelda to keep Nintendo’s head above water. And even though it’s a game that will appear on the NX, it’s going to be shown on the Wii U, a console that’s long since given up the ghost. Where’s the sense in that?

Nintendo has been doing it’s own thing for a long time now, all but retiring from the tiresome console wars. That’s clearly taken a toll to the point that it has one game on offer at the world’s biggest games show, for good or bad.

But what else are you looking forward to, and what’s on your wishlist of reveals? Don’t hold back, let us know.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2016/05/18/e3-2016-what-games-will-sony-microsoft-bethesda-ubisoft-and-ea-show-this-year/feed/0Mass Effect is getting its own theme park ridehttp://www.vg247.com/2016/04/28/mass-effect-theme-park/
http://www.vg247.com/2016/04/28/mass-effect-theme-park/#respondThu, 28 Apr 2016 05:33:01 +0000https://www.vg247.com/?p=580630Commander Shepard may have a new favourite destination in the galaxy soon, as Mass Effect is getting a ride.

Mass Effect is getting its own theme park ride

The Mass Effect: New Earth 4D theater experience is coming to California’s Great America, in Santa Clara. It’s due to open in mid-May. It will feature a 60-foot 3D LED screen designed specifically for the experience.

Unreal Engine 4 has been used in the production of the visuals that the ride will utilise. The goal is to create an experience that will not make participants feel sick. It’s also meant to bridge the narrative gap between the Mass Effect trilogy and the next game in the series, which seems like a fairly important function for a ride that the majority of players won’t get the chance to experience.

Ubisoft is opposing Electronic Arts’ trademark application for the the term “Ghost” in relation to video games.

Ubisoft has been using the name “Ghost Recon” since 2001, while EA owns Ghost Games, the studio which has been developing Need For Speed games since 2011.

The French publisher of Assassin’s Creed and The Division believes that EA’s use of “Ghost” is likely to “cause confusion, to cause mistake, or to deceive”.

“Consumers are likely to believe, mistakenly, that the goods and services Applicant [EA] offers under Applicant’s Mark are provided, sponsored, endorsed, or approved by Opposers [Ubisoft], or are in some way affiliated, connected, or associated with Opposers,” reads the official documents, republished via Neogaf.

Electronic Arts has until March 9 to respond.

Who will win in this thrilling trademark battle? The lawyers, obviously.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2016/02/01/ubisoft-to-fight-ea-over-ghost-trademark/feed/0Dragon Age: Inquistion’s GOTY edition does not contain the DLC on the dischttp://www.vg247.com/2015/09/25/dragon-age-inquistions-goty-edition-does-not-contain-the-dlc-on-the-disc/
http://www.vg247.com/2015/09/25/dragon-age-inquistions-goty-edition-does-not-contain-the-dlc-on-the-disc/#respondFri, 25 Sep 2015 02:59:10 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=549924If you buy the Game of the Year edition of Dragon Age: Inquisition, you’ll still need to download all of the game’s DLC.

This has been confirmed by the official Dragon Age Twitter account while answering a fan’s query.

@shihabshabbir All of the bonus content will be accessible through download code.

The Game of the Year edition, due October 6 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, contains all six pieces of DLC released for the game. You’ll just have to download them all rather than being able to play them off the disc.

It’s worth noting that Dragon Age: Inquisition takes up over 40GB on PS4 and Xbox One. A standard game disc for either console can contain a maximum of 50GB of data.

Gamespot have posted the trailer for the new course (EA Sports’ own YouTube channel is oddly quiet), which highlights the course.

The course is playable in all modes. A patch has been released today too, which will make a few tweaks and changes across the board.

The actual East Lake course is home to the Tour Championship this weekend.

Rory McIlroy PGA Tour released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One back in July.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2015/09/24/rory-mcilroy-pga-tour-gets-a-free-new-course-today/feed/0EA survey hints at Netflix-style subscription service for gameshttp://www.vg247.com/2015/09/24/ea-survey-hints-at-netflix-style-subscription-service-for-games/
http://www.vg247.com/2015/09/24/ea-survey-hints-at-netflix-style-subscription-service-for-games/#respondThu, 24 Sep 2015 00:48:51 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=549683A survey sent out on behalf of EA hints at a possible PC game subscription service plan well beyond what EA Access, Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus currently offer.

The survey, sent by marketing firm Chadwick Martin Bailey, hints at a subscription service encompassing releases from numerous game publishers. The implication seems to be that EA are considering a service where a monthly fee grants access to numerous games.

The full survey has been posted on imgur. Along with EA, games from Ubisoft, Take Two Interactive, Activision and Bethesda are explicitly mentioned. The survey asks players how much they would pay and how long after initial release they would like to see games uploaded, among other questions.

There is no mention of consoles made.

Obviously, there’s nothing concrete here – EA are merely gauging interest and consumer willingness to pay for a service like this. At the same time though, this survey suggests that discussions are likely to be taking place between publishers.

You’ll presumably still have to buy Hardline’s DLC (or a Premium subscription) separately to access the extra maps, modes and perks released so far, but the full base game, including the single-player campaign, will be made available to subscribers next month.

EA Access costs $5 per month, or $30 for a full year.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2015/09/23/battlefield-hardline-is-coming-to-the-ea-access-vault-in-october/feed/0Star Wars: Battlefront will have dedicated servershttp://www.vg247.com/2015/09/21/star-wars-battlefront-will-have-dedicated-servers/
http://www.vg247.com/2015/09/21/star-wars-battlefront-will-have-dedicated-servers/#respondMon, 21 Sep 2015 02:18:19 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=548784While there’s still some question about how matchmaking works in Star Wars: Battlefront, it has been confirmed that the game will have dedicated servers.

In an interview with PlayStation Lifestyle, designer Jamie Keen confirmed that the game will feature dedicated servers.

“We’ll still have dedicated servers”, he said. “Absolutely. It’s one of the hallmarks of making sure we deliver an unparalleled online service for the game.”

Earlier this month, community manager Matthew Everett confirmed that the game would not have server browsers, but would instead implement skill-based matchmaking. Because of this uncertainty, the news of dedicated servers is likely to come as a relief to many players. It’s likely that we’ll have a better picture of how matchmaking works in the game after the early October beta.

Star Wars: Battlefront is out November 17 in the US, November 19 in Australia and November 20 in Europe, for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2015/09/21/star-wars-battlefront-will-have-dedicated-servers/feed/0Mass Effect and KOTOR writer Drew Karpyshyn returns to BioWarehttp://www.vg247.com/2015/09/21/mass-effect-and-kotor-writer-drew-karpyshyn-returns-to-bioware/
http://www.vg247.com/2015/09/21/mass-effect-and-kotor-writer-drew-karpyshyn-returns-to-bioware/#respondMon, 21 Sep 2015 01:15:25 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=548778The prolific games writer has returned to the studio where he first made a name for himself.

The author, who left BioWare over four years ago to work on his Chaos Born novels, has returned to work on Star Wars: The Old Republic after completing his book trilogy.

Karpyshyn announced the career move on his blog. “Working at BioWare was a challenging but very rewarding job, and it’s good to be back as part of the team”, he said. “The thing I missed most about BioWare was the amazing people I got to work with, and luckily for me many of them are still there!”

He also clarified that he is not working on anything new or unannounced, rather focusing entirely on The Old Republic.

Karpyshyn has led an enviable career. He started at BioWare working on expansions for Baldur’s Gate 2 before eventually working on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the first two Mass Effect games. He is also the author of numerous Mass Effect and Star Wars novels.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2015/09/21/mass-effect-and-kotor-writer-drew-karpyshyn-returns-to-bioware/feed/0New Need for Speed trailer highlights five ways to playhttp://www.vg247.com/2015/09/04/new-need-for-speed-trailer-highlights-five-ways-to-play/
http://www.vg247.com/2015/09/04/new-need-for-speed-trailer-highlights-five-ways-to-play/#respondFri, 04 Sep 2015 06:17:01 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=546236The new ‘Need for Speed Gameplay Innovations’ trailer asks which way you’d like to play.

There are five elements of the Need for Speed experienced outlined here. Speed is, of course, all about winning races and driving as fast as you can. Style means drifting and pulling off cool moves will get you more points, while the Build portion of the trailer touts the game’s high level of customisation.

In Crew events, you team up with other racers and drive together, fast and dangerously, through the streets. The final way to play, Outlaw, is the Need for Speed staple of clashing with the cops on the open road.

The aim of all of this is to build up your ‘rep’, so that the rest of the racing world will take notice.

Need for Speed is due November 3 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2015/09/04/new-need-for-speed-trailer-highlights-five-ways-to-play/feed/0The Sims 4 details its first year with an infographichttp://www.vg247.com/2015/09/03/the-sims-4-details-its-first-year-with-an-infographic/
http://www.vg247.com/2015/09/03/the-sims-4-details-its-first-year-with-an-infographic/#respondWed, 02 Sep 2015 23:32:48 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=545945A year after release, The Sims 4 players have created 93 million Sims.

In that year The Sims 4 has been played for a cumulative 29,700 years. Players have achieved a divorce rate far lower than the US average, grieved through 5 million deaths, and employed 9% of the population as secret agents.

Posting to the game’s Reddit community, community manager Matthew Everett stated that the game ” will not offer a server browser, but will utilize a new skill based matchmaking system”.

Whether or not this comment applies to the PC version as well is unclear, as Everett was responding to a question about the console versions. However, the wording of his response – which does not clarify – suggests that the PC version may not have server browsers either.

While DICE’s games have typically had server browsers on PC and console, it seems that Star Wars: Battlefront, which will go into beta in October, will have a new system. Hopefully we’ll have more details soon.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2015/09/02/star-wars-battlefront-wont-have-server-browsers-on-console/feed/0Star Wars Battlefront borrows nothing from Battlefieldhttp://www.vg247.com/2015/08/31/star-wars-battlefront-borrows-nothing-from-battlefield/
http://www.vg247.com/2015/08/31/star-wars-battlefront-borrows-nothing-from-battlefield/#respondMon, 31 Aug 2015 05:44:46 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=545123DICE want to make it clear that Battlefront will not feel like a Battlefield game with Star Wars skin.

DICE general manager Patrick Bach explains, in the latest issue of Official PlayStation Magazine UK, that the two games do not share any systems in common. “They are as far apart as any shooter would be to any other shooter. I think people will be surprised that it’s even a DICE game in some cases, but I think that the quality of the game and the quality of the audio, the visuals, the emotion it evokes will hopefully feel very DICE.”

Star Wars Battlefront is due November 17 in the USA, November 19 in Australia, and November 20 in Europe, for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. It was recently named game of the show at gamescom.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2015/08/31/star-wars-battlefront-borrows-nothing-from-battlefield/feed/0E3 2015: every game you loved, hated, missed and need to see againhttp://www.vg247.com/2015/06/16/e3-2015-all-the-headlines-from-every-conference/
http://www.vg247.com/2015/06/16/e3-2015-all-the-headlines-from-every-conference/#respondTue, 16 Jun 2015 11:22:46 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=533228Every E3 2015 headline summarised for your consumption. Catch up, and find out what it all means.

E3 2015 is still fresh as a newborn chicken and yet we’re totally exhausted: so many bombs have dropped nobody remembers what the landscape looked like before the barrage started.

It’s bad enough for those of us who dog paddled through the floodwaters as the rain came down; it must be overwhelming to wake up and look over the sea of news. There’s so much of it that we’ve run through our entire front page roll – and I mean the breaking column – three times in 24 hours. Where do you even start digesting this?

You start here, of course. We make it easy to cut through the noise and hone in on the news you want to read and the assets you want to see. Frankly, it helps us keep track of it, too. Let’s kick off with what we ourselves has seen and done, then track back through the week’s news in reverse chronological order – newer content at the top of the page.

VG247 at E3 2015

We don’t just sit on our butts bringing you all the freshest headlines; oh no! We dispatched Pat, Matt and a team of freelancers to the show floor, where they’re gradually starving to death walking the incredible distances between appointments in tiny amounts of time. It’s been worth it, from the perspective of us at home, because they’ve had the opportunity to get up close and personal with some hot titles and chat with their creators. Be nourished by the sweat of their brows:

PC Gaming Show

There’s a joke going around Twitter that the first ever PC Gaming Show will also be the last, but it was pretty good – especially if you remember that the teams putting it together have never done one before. It was like every other E3 conference minus ten years of lessons regarding what people will sit still through two and half hours of. A few of the guests didn’t have any footage to release and couldn’t even tell us anything new, but the rest of them coughed up delightfully. Here are the top headlines:

For all the headlines including Rising Storm 2, American Truck Simulator, Arma 3: Tamoa, a Total War: Warhammer teaser, a new Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns trailer and the Take on Mars beta, see our full E3 2015 PC Gaming Show report.

Square Enix

Square Enix still hasn’t got the memo about keeping to short and snappy. The publisher had some big titles to discuss, but thanks to Sony’s reveal of the Final Fantasy 7 remake and the Hitman reboot, we didn’t get many surprises. Squeenix took a very long time to say its piece, which made it seem like it has fewer aces up its sleeve than it actually does. Don’t go looking for the replay; just enjoy this summary of the top headlines.

Nintendo

Nintendo trotted out some great games and experiences through its E3 2015 presentation, but remained tightly focused on the next few quarters rather than the long-term view other conferences tended to take. Its shorter PR cycles and lack of big console-selling announces disppointed the core, who seem to be waiting for a new Metroid Prime or something, but Rob Fahey argues that you can’t say Nintendo lost when it’s not even playing the game. Here are the highlights:

For all the headlines including two new Metroid Prime spin-off games for 3DS, new Amiibo, a new Atlus RPG for 3DS called Genei Ibun Rok #FE and two Animal Cross spin-offs, please see our full Nintendo E3 2015 showcase report.

Sony

This is where the bombs really fell. The last slot of the day is a lucky one, and Sony made the most of it. Its conference opened to the strains of “here we fucking go”, and off it fucking went. The word “games” was said hundreds of times, mostly in the opening five minutes, and then it was just games as far as the eye could see. As Pat wrote, in the past Sony has picked up the ball when Microsoft dropped it, but this year PlayStation won E3 all on its own. Here are the top headlines, which is to say, nearly every bloody headline:

For the rest of the headlines including Morpheus sports sim RIGS, a new Firewatch trailer, the Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars timed exclusive, Media Molecule’s intriguing Dreams, and a new Batman: Arkham Knight trailer, see our full Sony E3 2015 presentation report.

Ubisoft

After the awkwardness of EA it was refreshing to get back to Ubisoft, which has zero shits to give. Host Aisha Tyler made a return, brimming with her usual enthusiasm for the product, and Ubisoft spent an unusually small amount of time making us watch celebrities do embarrassing things. Instead, it just showed off game after game after game. Here are the main headlines:

For all the headlines including the Rainbow Six Siege beta, The Crew: Wild Run, Anno 2205, Just Dance 2016, Trials Fusion: Awesome Level MAX and Trackmania Turbo, please see our full Ubisoft E3 2015 showcase report.

EA

I already mentioned that EA was a bit awkward during Microsoft’s show, right? Well, its own E3 2015 presentation wasn’t much better. Although EA is doing a much better job the last few years of building good games and serving its customers, it still has no idea how to hold a press conference that doesn’t make us all cringe in embarrassment. (Soz, Peter; you know I love you, but.) Here are the main headlines:

For all the headlines including details of Madden 16, NBA Live 16, NHL 16, Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 and mobile games including Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes, see our full EA showcase report.

Microsoft

Microsoft kicked things off on Day 0 of E3 2015, and it brought an excellent show. Its fantastic line up of core-serving games and a distinct lack of waffle through the presentation went down well – so well that Matt believes the executive summary of the show is that Xbox One is in the best position of its life to date. The only downer was an awkward interlude featuring EA; the contrast with ex-girlfriend Activision is painful. Here are the top headlines:

For the rest of the headlines, including bonus content with Fallout 4, EA Access opening its doors to all Gold subscribers, Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2, a new wireless controller, Rainbow Six Siege bonus content, loads of indies, Xbox One’s early access program, The Rare Collection and Gears of War Ultimate Edition, see our full Microsoft E3 conference report.

Bethesda

E3 used to start on Day 0, the Monday before the show itself opens. Bethesda, for its first ever E3 press conference, broke tradition and opened a new slot on Sunday, which I guess is, uh, Day -1. It was a great show with some big properties, which Matt believes proves that Bethesda has entered the publishing big leagues. Here are the main headlines:

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2015/06/16/e3-2015-all-the-headlines-from-every-conference/feed/0Alien: Isolation, Driveclub can’t knock FIFA off UK top spothttp://www.vg247.com/2014/10/13/alien-isolation-driveclub-cant-knock-fifa-off-uk-top-spot/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/10/13/alien-isolation-driveclub-cant-knock-fifa-off-uk-top-spot/#respondMon, 13 Oct 2014 09:06:58 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=495516EA’s FIFA 15 remains the best-selling game in the UK this week, despite challenges from two high-profile new releases.
Sega’s Alien: Isolation takes the number two spot, pushing down WB’s Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Sony’s PS4 exclusive Driveclub made a more modest entry in the top 10, landing at number 5 behind Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 2.

The full top 20 is below:

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/10/13/alien-isolation-driveclub-cant-knock-fifa-off-uk-top-spot/feed/0Dragon Age: Inquisition – one final push for the old-gen consoleshttp://www.vg247.com/2014/10/09/dragon-age-inquisition-one-final-push-for-the-old-gen-consoles/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/10/09/dragon-age-inquisition-one-final-push-for-the-old-gen-consoles/#respondThu, 09 Oct 2014 16:18:23 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=495173Bioware’s art director believes the studio is pushing the Xbox 360 and PS3 harder than ever for the upcoming release of Dragon Age: Inquisition.

“We’re deliberately in opposition to what’s been before. If your art direction is very dark, if it has desaturated colour, it sets you up to play the game in a specific way.”

As developers and publishers honour the aging systems with one last Christmas before throwing all resources at the new PS4 and Xbox One consoles, Bioware is determined to leave a good looking corpse on last gen.

“We’ve probably pushed them further than we ever have before,” Neil Thompson, director of art and animation at Bioware told VG247. “When you’re trying to take a gen 4 experience and put it on a gen 3 console without compromise then by necessity you’re pushing those consoles really hard.”

“It’s tough,” he added. “We want people to have the same satisfying experience no matter what platform they play it on. From a graphical perspective the gen 4 versions look more dense, but in terms of the aesthetic of the game they should be the same across platforms.”

But Thompson’s art team is dedicated to Dragon Age’s narrative, said Thompson, so even on higher-spec consoles it isn’t going to throw around over-the-top artistic flourish just for the sake of it.

“We’re very keen that the art should always support the narrative rather than be in opposition to it. We try not to do anything that’s gratuitously there from an artistic perspective. It’s epic and grand but it has to have a point and the point is derived from the narrative.

“The world of Thedas is a great foundation that we’ve built. There’s a world there with multiple warring factions that just generates ideas. There’s so many stories there that you can tell, I don’t think the river of ideas is going to run dry. And the good thing is that these stories are are not all tied to a single character. We can always promote new characters and tell new stories from different perspectives within the factions. So it keeps it fresh.”

In other words, if you want an idea of how the next Mass Effect game will look, just check out the work being done on Dragon Age: Inquisition.

“Frostbite allows us to do much more,” details Thompson. “One of the prime sources of inspiration for Dragon Age: Inquisition was the work of Northern Renaissance artists. We’ve seen the introduction of Frostbite as the semi-Renaissance of BioWare in terms of the visual art.

“It’s a threatening world, there’s lots of danger and the threat of doom and gloom. But that shouldn’t alter the fact that it can still be beautiful. We really wanted to introduce a much more colourful and rich environment than we saw in Dragon Age II.”

“We’ve not been compromised by our engine choice, so this has given us the opportunity to bring it to the screen in a much more vivid, rich and lush way that we just haven’t been able to do before.”

It’s not just a desire to distance the art style from the last Dragon Age game, says Thompson, but also a trend in dark fantasy art that he believes has influenced gameplay.

“We’re deliberately in opposition to what’s been before. We have strong ideas on how the art direction should work for our game. If your art direction is very dark, if it has desaturated colour, it’s very grim, it sets you up to play the game in a specific way already. That’s the mood you’re entering just by looking at it,” he says.

“What we’re trying to achieve is we want people’s decisions to be altered by the decisions you make within the game. So the world can be a beautiful place but it’s the decisions you make as you play through that can change your environment – not in an aesthetic sense – from a moral sense, into a good or a bad place.”

But for all the love given to the art on last-gen technology, Thompson admits that the studio also needs to show and prove on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles. Afterall, the first thing everyone notices and comments on with new consoles are the graphics capabilities.

“We’re the first against the wall,” he jokes.

“What we wanted to do with this game and the next generation of hardware is… we’ve not been compromised by our engine choice, so this has given us the opportunity to bring it to the screen in a much more vivid, rich and lush way that we just haven’t been able to do before.”

Dragon Age: Inquisition is out for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC in November.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/10/09/dragon-age-inquisition-one-final-push-for-the-old-gen-consoles/feed/0Yes, Battlefield Hardline will work at launchhttp://www.vg247.com/2014/09/29/battlefield-hardline-will-work-at-launch/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/09/29/battlefield-hardline-will-work-at-launch/#respondMon, 29 Sep 2014 09:12:11 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=493535Let’s get straight to the point. Battlefield Hardline will work on the day of release.

Why would it? Well, you saw what happened at the launch of Battlefield 4, right? That was a launch so FUBAR the game still barely worked a month after release.

But this will not be the case with Visceral’s newest entry in the series, according to creative director Ian Milham.

“We actually started on this more than a year before Battlefield 4 came out. We’ve been working with the DICE guys for a long time; some of our engineering work is actually in Battlefield 4 and things they’ve been doing since then. It’s in pretty great shape now and all that work is gonna come into what we’re doing.

“We already had one very successful beta, we’re going to have another beta on every platform we ship on. We take shipping a working game pretty seriously. So, yes, the game will work,” he emphasised.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/09/29/battlefield-hardline-will-work-at-launch/feed/0Who wants a new SimCity game?http://www.vg247.com/2014/09/11/simcity-buildit-ios-android/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/09/11/simcity-buildit-ios-android/#respondThu, 11 Sep 2014 09:39:52 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=490949There’s a new SimCity game coming soon for iOS and Android.

SimCity BuildIt from EA will appear on iPad, iPhone and Android devices and will allow you to “pinch, zoom, and rotate 360 degrees as you manage your city in the palm of your hand,” according to the press release.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/09/11/simcity-buildit-ios-android/feed/0Is The Sims 4 “pixel bug” an anti-piracy measure?http://www.vg247.com/2014/09/05/sims-4-pixel-bug-piracy/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/09/05/sims-4-pixel-bug-piracy/#respondFri, 05 Sep 2014 07:58:37 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=490046Players of The Sims 4 are reporting a bug that turns the entire screen into a mosaic blur.

It looks like the effect that usually covers a Sim’s nuts and bolts, but instead of just hovering around the crotch, it’s expanding across the whole screen.

Players are reporting the problem as a bug, reports Player Attack, but some are suggesting it’s an anti-piracy measure and only appears in cracked copies of the game.

EA has so far stayed silent on the matter, which is only adding to the confusion. It’s probably a piracy thing – and fair play, it’s fun – but it might help if the publisher came out and said so instead of risking goodwill with the vibrant Sims community.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/09/05/sims-4-pixel-bug-piracy/feed/0Is Battlefield Hardline make or break for the series?http://www.vg247.com/2014/07/30/is-battlefield-hardline-make-or-break-for-the-series/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/07/30/is-battlefield-hardline-make-or-break-for-the-series/#respondWed, 30 Jul 2014 10:24:29 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=484853Battlefield expert Westie lays it on the line for Visceral – Hardline has to be one of the best BF games that’s ever been made.
After the shoddy launch of Battlefield 3, can a developer new to the franchise bring back love for the game?

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/07/30/is-battlefield-hardline-make-or-break-for-the-series/feed/0Was Visceral right to delay Battlefield: Hardline?http://www.vg247.com/2014/07/23/was-visceral-right-to-delay-battlefield-hardline/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/07/23/was-visceral-right-to-delay-battlefield-hardline/#commentsWed, 23 Jul 2014 10:25:09 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=483894Battlefield: Hardline has been delayed until 2015, but was it the right decision to make?
Visceral and DICE said last night the game was being delayed to improve the development of multiplayer features, the single-player campaign and stability issues.

Here, our Battlefield expert Westie takes you through the decisions and gives his take on the delay.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/07/14/ea-fifa-world-cup-germany-to-win-prediction/feed/4FIFA 15: Ten game-changing featureshttp://www.vg247.com/2014/06/09/fifa-15-ten-game-changing-features/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/06/09/fifa-15-ten-game-changing-features/#commentsMon, 09 Jun 2014 20:00:10 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=476800The common complaint aimed at FIFA is that its annual release cycle prevents significant progress being made with each new edition. Having already built FIFA 14 for next-gen hardware, however, developer EA Canada has the required experience to push the boundaries with FIFA 15.

From presentation and animation enhancements to increased AI realism, FIFA 15 is setting out to provide a wide variety of game-changing elements and upgrades. Based on a few hours spent playing a build of the game said to be ’50 percent complete’, here are ten of the most interesting alterations…

Feeling the emotion

FIFA 15’s main objective is to present the game in a way that feels as close as possible to what you can expect when watching football on TV. To recreate that sensation, each player now has his own system of emotions – influencing their on-pitch reactions, expressions and relationships.

For example, a feisty midfield battle between two opponents will cause them to become visibly aggravated; they’ll point the finger, angrily converse and push and shove each other whenever in close quarters.

Teammates react in a similar way. After an early goalkeeping error a defender may well offer condolences and encouragement to his number one, but further mishaps from the same player will lead to criticism from his own team. Supposedly, there are 600 different reactions that can potentially play out over the course of a single game.
These emotions are purely visual, they do not affect the gameplay at all. A criticised player will perform no differently than a praised one. Despite that, seeing Steven Gerrard give Daniel Sturridge a telling off for missing too many shots does add a genuine touch of personality to the action.

Context-sensitive team AI

CPU-controlled opponents now take the context of the match into account when defining their tactical approach. For example, if there are only a few minutes remaining in a cup final, and your opponent is a goal up, then you can expect them to sit back and defend with 11 men behind the ball. Switch the situation around, with you winning, and they will throw everything at you.

This same idea applies from the opening kickoff of certain matches, too. You might be involved in a two-legged match, with the first leg ending 3-0 to the CPU. In this situation you can be fairly safe in predicting that they’re going to ‘park the bus’ and defend their lead. It’s up to you to work out how to beat such tactics.

Improved tackling

Tackle success rate is being raised, bringing it more in line with the real-life game. According to EA Canada, FIFA 14’s tackle success rate averaged out at roughly 50 percent, whereas in FIFA 15 it’s currently sitting at between 70 and 80 percent – although that balance may be tweaked before release day.

Clearly, the goal here is to no longer favour attacking players in one-on-one encounters – the world’s best defenders now finally able to hold their ground against elite dribblers such as Arjen Robben and Lionel Messi. It should also give players that prefer defensive tactics more freedom to lock the down pitch in an effort to keep clean sheets.

Smarter players

Don’t think that improvements to tackling results in fewer scoring chances. In the line with the changes to a team’s overall AI approach, individual players are being tweaked to allow them to more intelligently find space and time their runs to match the flow of play.

Therefore, while it’s more difficult to take on an entire team’s defence by yourself, passing your way through the lines is more a valid option than ever. Such improvements apply to each of the game’s players, not just the attackers; helping you pass the ball out of defence during potentially dangerous moments, or allowing you to opt for a calmer, slower possession-based game.

If you enjoy men with muscles…

…then you’ll be happy that player models are noticeably improved over last year’s effort. Gone are the shapeless, bulky bodies of FIFA 14, replaced by leaner, meaner variations that actually make the digital footballers look like the professional sportsmen they are.

Particular attention has been paid to the chest and shoulders, with heavily-toned players such as Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic boasting all the relevant lines and bulges under their shirt. It all adds to FIFA 15’s determination to vastly improve its visual realism and mimic what we expect to see from a TV broadcast.

On to crowds, animation, physics and the pitch itself…

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/06/09/fifa-15-ten-game-changing-features/feed/4EA shuts down Warhammer developer Mythic Entertainmenthttp://www.vg247.com/2014/05/29/ea-shuts-down-warhammer-developer-mythic-entertainment/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/05/29/ea-shuts-down-warhammer-developer-mythic-entertainment/#commentsThu, 29 May 2014 19:59:52 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=475316EA announced that it was closing Mythic Entertainment, the developer behind The Dark Age of Camelot series and Warhammer Online.

The publisher released the following statement: “We are closing the EA Mythic location in Fairfax, Virginia, as we concentrate mobile development in our other studio locations. We are working with all impacted employees to provide assistance in finding new opportunities, either within EA or with other companies via an upcoming job fair.”

Mythic Entertainment had been working on Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning from 2008 up until 2013, when EA decided to shut the MMO down. Since then, Mythic was moved to mobile, and developed Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar and Dungeon Keeper: Mobile. Dungeon Keeper: Mobile was very poorly received, especially for its free-to-play model, which made it difficult for players to do anything in the game without paying.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/05/29/ea-shuts-down-warhammer-developer-mythic-entertainment/feed/2Leaked Battlefield Hardline trailer is apparently 6 months old, more to come at E3http://www.vg247.com/2014/05/28/leaked-battlefield-hardline-trailer-is-apparently-6-months-old-more-to-come-at-e3/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/05/28/leaked-battlefield-hardline-trailer-is-apparently-6-months-old-more-to-come-at-e3/#commentsWed, 28 May 2014 22:59:00 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=475088EA was forced to confirm Battlefield Hardline after a logo and trailer leak of the game. However, it looks like the publisher is rolling with the punches and capitalizing on the excitement and hype that’s been generated.

According to Visceral general manager Steve Papoutis, there’s plenty more Hardline goodies to come. “So yeah, that happened. Not how we wanted to unveil Hardline, but all good. Didn’t want to wait til E3 anyway, so let’s talk about it…” he tweeted. According to Papoutis, the trailer that was leaked is more than 6 months old. Obviously, there’s been much progress made to Hardline.

“We’re pouring everything we’ve got into this & stoked to share details on June 9 – maybe even a little more before then if you want it,” he said in another tweet.